Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has been quiet on his father’s suggestion that he’d be staying in school for two additional seasons, but (for now) he’s adamant that the Noles best football is still in front of them, even though they are coming off a BCS National Championship victory.
“I’m not really worried about that,” Winston said of his father’s remarks last month. “I’m just focusing on the season right now, because this year is going to be one to remember.”
Winston did allude however, that getting his degree at FSU is one of his paramount objectives. Being that he’s almost certain to require at least two more years to complete a social sciences program, one could assume he’d remain in school and forgo the opportunity to earn millions in the 2015 NFL draft. He could also decide to enter the draft and finish later.
“It’s very important to me. I was always raised as a student first and an athlete second,” Winston said. “I think that’s the main purpose in college. Some athletes lose that perspective. It’s about being a student-athlete, and not just getting that easy money and going to the league. Even if kids leave early, I would want them to come back and get that degree.”
It’s great that Winston is promoting the importance of education to the masses, but the insurance policy he took out to protect his interests could say otherwise. Either way, he’s doing the right thing by covering himself from both angles. Having already won a National Championship and Heisman trophy in his first year as a starter, there is not much more for Winston to accomplish on the field. In the classroom however, is a different story.
[h/t NFL.com]